I'm developing this class for my Pathfinder world, which is a tropical, mostly ocean world. The world is split into island-continents, and thus sailing between them becomes a very big thing, as many threats lurk in the ocean, from underwater monsters to gigantic typhons. The World Explorer is a class that specifies in ocean travel and warfare. World Explorers are part of a organization that wishes to explore every part of the known world and even other planes. At the beginning of their journey, the Order grants the World Explorer a small magical rowboat to which he forms a bond with, similar to a druids animal companion

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: World Explorers are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the Cutlass, Rapier, Scimitar, Short Sword, Hand Crossbow, and Shortbow. World Explorers are proficient in light or medium armor and shields

Spells: The World Explorer cast spells like an Inquisitor does, with a few exceptions. If the World Explorer's bonded ship is destroyed or his bond with his ship otherwise disrupted, he loses all spells and abilities relating to it, and can only cast Mending or similar spells until his boat is repair.

Windrigger: At first level with a DC 15 Profession (Sailor) check, the World explorer can increase his ships base speed by 5 ft for 1 hour

Deep Breath: World Explorers are adept at holding their breath. They can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 x their constitution modifier before they have to make constitution checks

Skilled Sailor: World Explorers get a +4 to their Profession (Sailor) checks with the ship that they are bonded to. They get a +2 to their Profession (Sailor) checks on any other ship. The World Explorer treats the number of crew members need to effectively run a ship as half the normal requirement, minimum 1.

Ship Bond: At first level the World Explorer gains a Rowboat, free of charge, that he is bonded to. This rowboat is a semi-sentient magical construct, as if animated by the animate object spell, although it can only make attacks against creatures in or under the water. The World Explorer always knows the location and condition of his bonded ship, including Hp and other statistics. At 3rd level, he may spend 1 week and 500 gp and upgrade his ship to a Keelboat. He may do this again at 5th, 7th, and 11th level, upgrading into a Longship, Sailing Ship, and Warship, respectively. The new ship retains any installed items that the old ship had, such as extra rooms or weapons. If a bonded ship is destroyed, the World Explorer must spend at least one month constructing a new one at 1/3rd the price.

Rigging Monkey: At second level, a World Explorer gets a +2 bonus on Climb checks when using a rope to help them climb. In addition, when using a rope to climb a World Explorer can move half his speed, or his full speed by taking a -5 penalty to the Climb roll

Farseer: At second level, a World Explorer reduces any distance-based penalties on perception checks by 1/2 when he is at least 10 ft of the ground or is above a deck of a ship

Captain: At third level, the World Explorer gains followers as the leadership feat. He doe’s not gain a cohort until 7th level, in which case he gains the leadership feat as normal. These followers count as crew members and generally stay on the Explorers ship.

Burst of Speed: At third level the World Explorer can coax speed out of his ship. Once per day, he can double his ships movement speed for one round.

Sailor Legs: At fourth level the World Explorer has master the art of fighting on ships. While on a ship, they get a +1 on attack rolls, damage rolls, and CMB rolls. Off a ship, he wobbles back and forth, making him difficult to hit, and gets a +1 to his Ac, Reflex saves, and CMD. These bonuses increase by 1 for every four levels beyond the fourth that the World Explorer possesses.

Reduced Costs: At fourth level, the World Explorer treats any ship related cost, such as installing new weapons or repairs as 25% cheaper. This bonus increases to 50% at 8th level

Defensive Sailing: At fifth level the World Explorer adds 1/2 is level to his ships AC

Shipboard Authority: At sixth level 1/per day, the World Explorer can assert his authority on ships. Any allies who can hear him get a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls or on a particular skill check. This lasts for 1 round per level the World Explorer possess. If the World Explorer is on a ship that he is bonded to, the bonus instead lasts for 2 rounds/level the Explorer possess. He may use this ability off a ship, but it only affects members of his crew(which can include party members, but only if they are specifically part of his crew).

Navigate Storm: At sixth level the World Explorer as learned to navigate even the most deadly of weather. He treats all storms if they were one category less sever for the purpose of sailing and navigation. He treats the storm as if it was in a zone of inclement weather, rather then a powerful storm.

Shipmind: At eighth level a World Explorer can control his ship with his thoughts. He must be on the ship and he must be conscious. Once the World Explorer activates Shipmind, he can feel the ship as if it was and extension of his own body. He can “see” from the ship as if it were his own body from anywhere he wants, adjusting his point of view as a free action. The World Explorer can move the ship as if it was his own body, it moves over the water at his base speed or the ships normal speed, whichever is faster. The ship can move forward and backward, make right angle turns, and come to a complete stop, despite the ship’s size or weather conditions. While the World Explorer uses this ability, his body appears paralyzed and unresponsive. He is considered helpless and cannot defend himself, but retains awareness of what goes on around his body. He may end this ability as an immediate action. This ability last for one round per class level.

Land Sailing: At ninth level, the ship that the World Explorer is bonded to gains the ability to sail through land at 1/2 its normal sailing speed. Land sailed through this way is displaced temporarily, returning to its original state after the ship is past. This ability only lasts as long as the World Explorer is on the ship. If the World Explorer leaves the ship, the effect end and the ship is embedded in the ground until the World Explorer returns, or uses the Call Ship ability.

Call Ship: At tenth level, the World Explorer gains the ability to call his ship to him, no matter where he is. The ship immediately attempts to find the World Explorer, moving as fast as possible, using 1/2 of the World Explorers Profession (Sailor) check. If necessary the ship will us the Land Sailing, the Sky Sailing or the Astral Sailing abilities if it has access to them.

Salvage: At 11th level the World Explorer oce per day he gains the ability to use Salvage as a spell like ability (as the spell) only he can cast it on his bonded ship. At 18th level, he can cast it on any ship.

Captain’s Quarters: at twelfth level, the World Explorer gains the ability to teleport items between himself and his quarters on his bonded ship. As a swift action, he can send something to his quarters, and as a move action he may retrieve an item from his quarters, as a handy haversack.

Sky Sailing: at thirteenth level the ship that the World Explorer is bonded to gains a Fly speed equal to its normal sailing speed for as long as the World Explorer is on the Ship

Spell-like abilities: At fourteenth level the World Explorer May pick a spell like ability from the following list: Control Weather/Vortex/Wind Walk/Plane Shift/Greater Teleport/Walk Through Space/Portal/Ice Body/Teleport Object/Phase Door. He can use that ability 1/day, or 2/day while on his bonded ship. He may pick again from this list at sixteenth level: Seamantle/Stormbolts/Whirlwind/Polar Ray/Discern Location/Dimensional Lock/Peace Aura/Demand/Word of Recall/Euphoric Tranquility, and at eighteenth level may pick from this list: Tsunami/Winds of Vengeance/World Wave/Gate/Typhoon/Mass Icy Prison/Cyclone Barrier/Teleportation Circle/Ride the Lightning

Fish Out of Water: At fifthteenth level, a number of times equal to the World Explorers Wisdom modifier, he can use an ability that normally requires him to be on his ship, even if he is not. If he is using an ability that could already be used off his ship, but would normally gain bonuses from being on the ship, he gains those bonuses instead.

Astral Sailing: at seventeenth level the ship can cast plane shift 2/day and can sail through the outer planes without suffering ill effects. The ship and those on it are not effected by any hostile environment. This protection extends 10 ft from the ship. This ability only functions while the World Explorer is on the ship, although the ship is still unaffected by environmental hazards while the World Explorer is off

Call of the Sea: at 19th level the ship can emit a sonic attack against intruders onboard and monsters around the ship. Any creatures that are onboard the ship against the will of the captain or creatures in a 60ft radius that are threatening the ship must make a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 class level + Wisdom modifier or die. Those who succeed 140 sonic damage (as Banshee’s Wail). This is the ship’s ability, so this ability can’t be used by Fish out of Water

Perfect Sailing: at twentieth level any ship that the World Explorer is on can benefit from the Land Sailing, Sky Sailing, and Astral Sailing abilities. In addition the World Explorer can always take a 20 on Profession (Sailor) checks and always has complete control over his ship, no matter the weather or other hostile situations. In addition, any ability he uses counts as on his ship. If he is actually on his ship, he may use any abilities and additional time per day and the duration is increased by 1 round/per level

So I'm still going over it but I have a few questions and observations about the class so far.

Alignment and DeitiesSo why do you need a deity here? I assume for the spellcasting? If that's the case why that list of particular deities? If your going to have a list that long and with that many options why have a list at all?

SkillsAny reason Knowledge (Nature) isn't on the list? Seems it would be pretty appropriate with the emphasis on exploration and the natural world. Also why Knowledge (Planes)? Is this organization extraplaner as well?

Weapon/Armour ProficiencyJust a heads up but the Cutlass is part of a splat book. Nothing wrong with that but there is a chance people won't be able to find it if they are limited to just the core/SRD books.

WindriggerThe DC is effectively pointless; at 1st level your going to have between 8-10 ranks in Profession (Sailor) so the odds of failing are so low as to not matter. You might just want to make it a flat static modifier so long as you are at the helm of the ship in question. You might also want to make it a +10ft bonus - possibly increasing as you level. As is it's too small a bonus to make much difference.

Deep BreathThis is okay but it could really be a little better. As an immediate improvement (and to really hammer home the underwater combat thing) you may consider letting it remove the penalty on taking standard actions underwater - allows them to function and even battle underwater just as long as just flat increasing duration.

Ship BondSo I really like the idea behind this ability but it makes my math hurt. Basically it comes down to this; at level 3 PC's should have around 3000gp worth of gear. A Keelboat is worth 13,000gp. I'm not sure how I'd fix it though. I'd have to do more research into the vehicle rules for Pathfinder.

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Welcome! I'm Garren and I'll be your designated villain for the evening.

Deities: All of those deities relate to travel, exploration, or the sea in some way.

Skills: It would make sense for knowledge Nature, I'll probably add that. They are an extraplanar organization. Their main goal is to explore every single plane

I thought about taking out the DC for Windrigger, originally Burst of Speed had a DC but I removed it. Both Windrigger and Burst of Speed are actual features so I didn't want to tinker with them too much.

Deep Breath is another actual ability, but I could see ramping it up more as you level

Boat: Yah, but Pathfinder doesn't really have much for smaller boats. It pretty much goes right from Rowboat to Colossal sized boats.

Why? I personally think it's rather boring to have an entire character based around driving a vehicle. It also means most serious seafarers will be nigh-identical to each other, as opposed to a prestige class where they can enter from different base classes and use the aspects for different means. Throw in some fun stuff like classes being able to treat the boat as their animal companion/familiar for class features (I have no idea what this would do), or summoner being able to spend evolution points on the boat, get a little wacky.

It's also missing one of the core-parts of pathfinder which is inherent flexibility. Aside from spells, there is little choice when it comes to class features.Sailing talent, boat upgrade, tidal omen, whatever floats your boat kek

General Comments - While I appreciate the theme, there does need to be something before level 9 and level 13 that allows them to function with some proficiency off of their ship and on land as well. As much as you don't want it to be a prestige class, no one is going to want to take the class unless they can begin at 9th level or beyond if they're bound to the ocean and can't really do anything on land. You're kinda excluding them from dungeon delves and the like and overly dependent on staying on their ship.

Windrigger - I'd increase the base speed to 10 ft over 5 ft. One reason being that people are gonna want a slightly better bonus for being trapped on their own ship, and the other is that it's gonna be annoying to divide an extra 5 ft in half for Land Sailing.

Spell List - I'm not 100% sure, but the majority of spell casters also get Read Magic as part of their 0 level spells and can prepare it on the spot when needed.

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